Trying to Get Shanghailanders to Watch Chinese Films…Back in the Day

Of course the great Chinese film studios of the interwar years, largely in Shanghai, made films with Chinese actors for Chinese audiences about largely Chinese themes. Yet why not try and persuade some Shanghailanders to go see the movies too? And indeed the studios did some times, such as this example of advertising in the English language press for United China Motion Picture Corp’s 1940 flick The Beauty of Beauties.  I know nothing about this film except what the ad tells me. It might be a good flick or it might be a load of toss, I don’t know. But the ad directed at Shanghailanders (who could go see no end of Westerns, Shirley Temples etc etc coming out of Hollywood) is interesting all the same. I’m also afraid that the ‘Orient’s Greatest Love-Team’ of Claire Yuan and Sunny May strike no chords or ring any bells with me.

Still 10 out of 10 for effort – I wonder if anyone went to see it?